I hope you will read all of my review. It is very detailed as I feel sharing EXACTLY what happened is better than generalities. My GYN recommended I go to Dr. Peter Lim for treatment for the mass she discovered on one of my ovaries. We were taken aback when we read all the reviews online. Strange, people seemed to either give him a 5 with raving reviews or a 1 with terrible reviews against him and his staff, especially Gina, his office mgr. I wondered if people's reviews reflected their own positive or negative outlook on life and treatment of others. We decided to keep the appointment and use it as a learning experience and then look for a different doctor afterwards.
Gina always greeted us in a very professional, courteous manner. I did not detect a "rude or snarky" attitude as some people accused her of in any way. Yes, we did have a long wait, but that is often an indication that the doctor is good and willing to spend time with patients rather than pushing them through every 15 minutes like a bunch of cattle. When we finally were called back the PA took all our information in a professional, friendly manner. She raved about Dr. Lim. She said she loved working for him because he was an excellent, competent surgeon and was great to work for.
When Dr. Lim entered, he greeted my husband and myself with a firm handshake and direct eye contact which made a first good impression. As he was explaining things to us he spoke in a deliberate, direct, concise and knowledgeable manner. His demeanor struck us as one of confidence, not arrogance. His confidence must come from performing over 4,000 da Vinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgeries during the past 20+ years. At one point I raised my hand to stop him so I could ask a question. He answered my question, asked if I understood and was it ok for him to continue. A few moments later while in the midst of explaining something else he stopped in mid-sentence and said, "You have another question don't you?" I was shocked. He already had me figured out! He simply saw the look on my face and he knew something had confused me and my hand was going to come up again! I have NEVER had a doctor who was so observant, cognizant of my needs, and patient in responding to my questions. He actually stopped a total of 3 times to ask me if I had another question before my hand could go up making a second GREAT impression. He also had a sense of humor, which we appreciated. At some point my husband, who is an excellent judge of character, looked at me and silently mouthed, "I like this guy! Go with him!" So, we scheduled my surgery then and there.
Afterwards, Gina went over all the paper work regarding the upcoming surgery and directions with me, highlighting important points, making sure I understood everything. Her demeanor was professional and gentle. I felt like she was very cognizant of the fear I was feeling. She told me to not hesitate to call if I had ANY questions at all, because they wanted to help alleviate my anxiety. She told me that Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays were typically very busy days, while Thursdays and Fridays were calmer and if possible, she suggested I call on the two latter days because they would have more time to spend with me. Made total sense to me, so I honored her request. I called a total of 4 times over a 3 week period, asking if it was a convenient time. Depending upon who answered the call either Gina or Claudia spoke with me calmly answering all questions to my satisfaction.
Prior to my surgery, a doctor who I use to go to in Reno, but moved to Oregon called me. She said Dr. Lim was an excellent doctor, the best in his field, and that I was in good hands. I was grateful to hear those words because they put me at ease. My surgery was on March 4, 2019. After surgery, Dr. Lim spoke with my husband and daughter, explaining all went well. He removed a mass the size of a grapefruit successfully and that initial pathology report came back benign! He explained that pathology would perform a full biopsy on everything that was removed to be sure no cancer was hiding. I had no complications and was discharged the same day.
Dr. Lim was called away from the office the day of my 3 week checkup. The PA answered all my questions and said everything looked good. He told me only Dr. Lim was allowed to give me the results of the post-surgery biopsy. He said there was a pile of files with notes waiting for him so it may take him a week to get to mine. I was prepared for a long wait. That same day, Dr. Lim called me at home saying he didn't want me and my family to have to suffer waiting a long time for my final results. He happily explained no cancer was found! I thanked him for having the compassion to call me soon and told him I was grateful to him and his staff for the compassion and courtesy they showed me. My recovery has had no complications. read more
